The robots are coming – and they’re raising the bar for customer support experiences.

The increasing popularity of support automation is streamlining customer service operations. It’s already affecting how customer support teams work and shifting consumer expectations to anticipate greater personalization, faster service, and more self-service support options.

Just how quickly can we expect this transformation to take place?

Well, here are a few customer support automation statistics that look at the impact of automation in the modern workforce and how AI will shape customer support automation over the next few years.

16 Customer Support Automation Statistics You Should Know About

Automation is already a major component of customer support operations for businesses of all shapes and sizes – and it’s influencing consumer behaviors and expectations.

1. 40% of adults use voice search at least one per day.

Thanks to the rise of voice-controlled personal assistants like Siri and Alexa, many of us are already comfortable talking to robots. Not only is voice search shifting popular search queries to more conversational language (which has implications for SEO), but it’s also changing the way people interact with technology in general.

As AI takes on a larger role in the customer support world, we can expect to see humans and machines communicate using increasingly complex voice commands and conversations.

2. 31.7% of major companies already use AI to augment their customer service.

According to a Tata Consultancy Services survey of executives around the globe, almost one-third of businesses already use AI as part of their customer service strategy. That makes customer service operations one of the most common use cases for artificial intelligence in business – second only to IT.

3. 78% of millennials expect customer support agents to already know their contact and product information.

Microsoft’s 2016 Global Customer Service Report found that 78% of young consumers expect businesses to already know their contact and product details when they reach out for support.

4. Consumer expectations for customer service increased by 68% from 2015 to 2016.

5. 67% of consumers expect to use messaging apps when interacting with a business.

According to Chatbots Magazine, just over two-thirds of people now expect to see or use messaging apps when talking to a business. Not only are messaging apps a quick, convenient way for consumers to reach out to customer support, but the use of chatbots makes customer service operations more efficient and cost-effective for businesses.

AI Adoption in 2019 and Beyond

AI is expected to play an even bigger role in customer support processes in the coming years. Here’s what predicted adoption looks like in the not-so-distant future.

By the year 2019…

6. 33% of contact centers will have invested in AI and robotics.

According to Deloitte’s 2017 Global Contact Center Survey, one-third of contact centers will have begun to implement and invest in AI and robotic process automation (RPA) by 2019. The primary motivator behind the investment is improving cross-channel customer experiences.

By 2020…

7. 8 out of 10 companies will have adopted AI as part of their customer service operations.

According to research by Oracle, 80% of businesses are planning to implement AI-powered customer service solutions by 2020 – and many of them already have.

8. 85% of customer service interactions will be powered by AI bots.

Research by Gartner predicts that human agents will be removed from the equation in 85% of customer interactions by the year 2020. As staggering as this support automation statistic might sound, it’s actually been a long time coming. From mobile takeout orders to online banking, today’s consumers demonstrate a growing preference for engaging with businesses without human interaction.

By 2021…

9. AI for CRM solutions could increase global business revenue by $1.1 trillion.

Not only will deploying AI-powered customer relationship management solutions increase global revenues, according to Salesforce, but it’s also expected to create 800,000 net new jobs.

An analyst report from Juniper Research found that by 2022, businesses are expected to save a whopping $8 billion in customer support costs. This is a massive jump in cost-savings from the $20 million saved thanks to automation in 2017.

11. Chatbot automation will save around 70 cents per customer interaction in both the healthcare and banking industry.

Juniper Research also found that businesses in both healthcare and banking can reduce their costs dramatically with the help of chatbots. By using support automation to address common customer inquiries, these businesses can save up to 70 cents per customer interaction.

12. For every second shaved off average handle times, chatbots can save call centers up to $1 million in annual costs.

When it comes to reducing contact center costs, every second really does count. Chatbots can reduce average handling times by addressing certain inquiries without involving a human agent – which translates into faster handle times and huge savings potential.

The Future of Customer Support = AI + Human Support Agents

These customer support automation statistics help us understand where the future of customer support and automation are heading.

A Deloitte study involving 450 contact centers from different industries found that 56% of businesses in the multimedia and tech sectors have plans to invest in contact center AI technology in the near future.

14. According to a report from McKinsey, 29% of customer service agent duties have the potential to be automated with technology.

As the application of AI technology becomes more widespread, customer service agents will be freed up to tackle other duties. We can expect to see automation taking over some of the roles handled by cashiers, sales reps, and support agents.

15. Chatbots can handle up to 80% of routine customer support questions.

AI-powered chatbots have the potential to resolve 8 out of 10 common customer inquiries. That means human agents can be freed up to address more complex questions and challenging tasks – thereby increasing call center efficiency and cutting costs.

16. Chatbots can save businesses up to 30% on customer service costs.

Chatbots Magazine says businesses can reduce their customer service spending by 30% by introducing AI-powered chatbots and virtual agents.

Embrace the Future of Customer Support

Automation is a cornerstone of modern customer support. If you want to learn more about how you can use support automation to power amazing customer experiences, sign up to get monthly updates on the latest and greatest tips from our blog delivered straight to your inbox.